PDFs

Portable Document Format (PDF) is a file format created by Adobe. This file format was originally created in the late 1990s to help ensure documents were consistent across computers and software. While these documents were originally created to ensure that documents look consistent across devices, they are often generated inappropriately and inaccessibly. The accessibility, or lack of, in a PDF relies on the accessibility of the source material and using the tools within Adobe. If the original material is not accessible, the PDF will not be accessible unless a great amount of effort is derived to fix the errors. Unfortunately, most PDFs are not accessible. A PDF that is not tagged properly cannot be read by a screen reader (which means it is completely inaccessible to someone using assistive technology). If you must use a PDF, take the time to ensure that it is accessible. Additionally, software companies are far better equipped to ensure a document is the same across devices than they were in the 90s. A Microsoft Word document is going to look the same on mobile devices (such as tablets or smartphones) and laptop and desktop computers (both Mac and PC). The need to have PDFs for uniformity across devices is far less than it was nearly 30 years ago.

Document Scans

If you place a document on a scanner or copy machine and immediately distribute it, you are inadvertently making an accessibility error. While educators often do this in good faith, they are often not completing the steps needed to make the document accessible.

PDFs Can Be Edited

One of the most common reasons we hear about why individuals choose to use a PDF is not about universal file type at all. The most common reason that faculty choose to use PDFs is the myth that the documents cannot be edited. The reality is that PDFs can be edited very quickly with free software. Consequently, locking a PDF prevents assistive technologies from properly accessing a document as some technologies have to alter the document in order for it to work (e.g., a user may override your color settings to meet a contrast standard that they can see). When you lock a PDF to edits, all you are doing is locking users who rely on assistive technology out of your document.

When you take a text and put it on the copy machine and scan it to PDF, it is completely inaccessible. When you generate this scan, as occurred in the video, the scanner makes an image.

The accessibility of a PDF largely depends on the accessibility of the original document. If you save an inaccessible Microsoft Word document as a PDF, the PDF will be even less accessible. If you save an inaccessible Google Slides deck as a PDF, it will be even less accessible. If you save an accessible Microsoft Word document as a PDF, there are steps you must take to ensure that the PDF is accessible. It is not automatically accessible.

When Should PDFs Be Used

PDFs should only be used in the following scenarios:

Precise formatting is required to address the needs of printing the finalized document
Non-standard fonts or special characters are used throughout the document
Complex formulas and equations are used throughout the document (even then, we have some tools such as Equatio that can create accessible digital equations)
A large document (such as a book, dissertation, or handbook)

In fact, PDFs should be avoided for all on-screen reading, and they should be used when the intention of the source is for it to be printed or for archival purposes. A copy of Beowulf in Old English is an appropriate use of a PDF because of the special characters, but a document with discussion questions for your students to answer based on the reading is not an appropriate use of a PDF. If you have a document explaining the Standard Model equation, that is an appropriate use of a PDF. However, an assigned reading about the model may not be an appropriate use of the file format. A department newsletter may be published as a PDF as the intended output is precise formatting (however, in all of these cases PDF accessibility must be ensured).

13 Steps to Accessible PDFs

There are thirteen checks that must be undertaken to ensure that a PDF is accessible. Many of these items are things that must be addressed when the original document is generated; however, you should still double-check when you make the PDF. The onus to ensure that the document is accessible falls on the shoulders of the individual who generates the document. If you do not understand or know how to make the file you’re working with accessible, you should not port it to a PDF. Porting an inaccessible document to a PDF often makes generating an accessible PDF impossible.

Fonts: Fonts should be readable (at least size 12), maintain color contrast standards (minimum 4.5:1), and there should be no more than three different fonts in a document.
Styles: There should be a consistent paragraph style (e.g., left-aligned) throughout the document, and any headings used should be generated using the built-in formatting tools and follow the correct hierarchy (order).
Color: Any colors used should meet WCAG AA requirements (minimally).
Lists: Any lists included in the document should be correctly tagged using built-in formatting and follow a logical structure (e.g., the number two always follows the number one).
Images: All images should have alternative text. Any data in charts or graphs must use color appropriately and use clear ways (e.g., patterns or clear labeling) to differentiate the data.
Links: All URLs should use descriptive text that tells the reader where the URL will lead vs the long URL. Additionally, links should follow color contrast standards (including hover states, where the font changes color when the user mouses over it).
Tags: Within Adobe, it is important to ensure that the document is tagged and that the tags follow a logical reading order.
Bookmarks: Ensure that any bookmarks used link to the appropriate corresponding portion of the document. If a document is more than 21 pages long, it will automatically fail the accessibility check if it does not have bookmarks.
Standard Compliance: Verify that the PDF meets the required accessibility standards (WCAG AA for documents used in an education setting).
Table of Contents: For longer documents, a table of contents should be provided that links to each section of the document.
Tab Order: Ensure that the tab order follows a logical order. Tab order is utilized by those using assistive technology to navigate through the document. The tab order should follow the order in which a typically abled individual will review the document.
Tables: Any tables included in the document should be correctly tagged using built-in formatting and follow a logical structure. Tables should never be used for formatting alone. Consequently, header rows or columns must be marked and clear alternative text provided.
Metadata: The metadata consists of the file property (e.g., title, author, and language). All fields should be fully and accurately filled out. Users of assistive technology depend on this information to determine if they are reviewing the correct document. The language field communicates to screen reader software what accents and pronunciation to use.

Resources

13 Steps to Accessible PDFs (Google Slides)
Accessible PDF Best Practices (University of California San Francisco)
Accessible Adobe PDFs (Texas Tech University)
Accessibility Issues (Adobe)
Accessible Scanning (Texas Tech University)
Avoid PDF for On-Screen Reading (Nielsen Norman Group)
Checking PDFs for Accessibility (University of Washington)
Complex Tables in PDFs (Wright State University)
Convert PDF to Word (Adobe)
Create Accessible PDFs (Microsoft Support)
Create and Verify PDF Accessibility (Acrobat Pro)
Creating Accessible PDFs from Adobe InDesign (University of Washington)
Creating Accessible PDFs from Microsoft Word (University of Washington)
Creating High Quality Scans (University of Washington)
Edit a PDF (Microsoft Support)
Get the Adobe Acrobat Tab to Appear (Microsoft Support)
How to Convert a PDF to Use in Google Docs (Adobe)
How to Convert PDF to Word (Kevin Stratvert YouTube)
Missing Adobe Acrobat Tab Even When Add-In is Enabled in Office 2016 Apps (Microsoft Support)
PDF Accessibility (University of Arizona)
PDF Accessibility (WebAIM)
PDF Accessibility: Lists (MSFTEnable YouTube)
PDF Accessibility: Make PDF Scans Accessible (The City University of New York)
PDF Accessibility: Tables (MSFTEnable YouTube)
PDF Issues & Recommendations (Penn State)
PDFs and Accessibility: What You Need to Know (TextHelp)
PDF Remediation Basics (UA Technology Accessibility YouTube)
PDF/UA in a Nutshell (PDF Association)
PDF/UA-1, PDF Enhancement for Accessibility, Use of ISO 32000-1 (Library of Congress)
PDF Techniques for WCAG 2.0 (W3C)
Ten Common PDF Accessibility Errors with Solutions (University of Ottawa PDF)
Troubleshoot Acrobat PDFMaker Issues in Microsoft Office on Windows (Adobe Support)
Understanding PDF Accessibility (University of Colorado Boulder)
What is an Accessible PDF? A Layman’s Explanation and Example (CommonLook)
What’s the Difference Between PDF and Accessible PDF (Common Look)
What Does PDF Mean? (Adobe)
Why PDF Accessibility is Important for Higher Education (ADA Site Compliance)
Why Scanned PDFs get a Low Accessibility Score Indicator (California State University, Northridge)
Why Use Accessible PDF? (Portland Community College YouTube)
Word-to Pdf and PDF Accessibility Guide (University of California)

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PDFs

Document Scans

PDFs Can Be Edited

When Should PDFs Be Used

13 Steps to Accessible PDFs

Resources

Resources: PDFs and Copyright

Resources: PDFs and OCRs

Resources: PDFs and Alternative Formats for Textbooks